Abstract: A thermal storage and transfer method for use in both indirect and direct heating solar power plants that involves the use of nitrogen gas as a thermal storage medium for heat transfer in circumstances where little or no solar radiation is available to produce the thermal energy needed to convert water into steam and generate electricity.

Abstract: Steam power plants utilize high pressure and low pressure feedwater heaters to increase overall system efficiency. Both types of feedwater heaters generally include a subcooling zone that is separate from a condensing zone. The viability of the separation of the zones is critical to the efficiency of the overall system, specifically with regard to the inefficiencies inherent in the leakage of steam from the condensing zone into the subcooling zone. An improvement in the viability of that zone separation for such feedwater heaters is taught by the use of dual end plates for the subcooling zone to create a triple layer of separation between the condensing and subcooling zones to prevent unwanted and inefficient steam leakage.